Manoa Valley Theatre’s Hawaii premiere of Ronald Harwood’s comic "Quartet" invites us to ponder life’s meaning while laughing at our foibles, pretenses and petty grievances.
Harwood’s 1999 play became a Dustin Hoffman-directed film in 2012, but MVT’s production recaptures its more intimate origins in community theater, with just four speaking parts and two extras on a single set.
"Quartet" reunites four ex-opera stars in an elder home for retired musicians, many of whom are there on charity, much to their chagrin. The plot is simple — a fourth singer arrives, and preparation for a performance for fellow residents in a celebration of Verdi’s birthday — but the story is life itself.
All four leads are well known locally: Howard Bishop as Wilfred Bond, a randy old baritone who provides the comic drive; Jan McGrath as Cecily Robson, a befuddled alto with great comic timing; Jo Pruden as Jean Horton, the prima donna soprano with a barbed tongue; and Jim Tharp as Reginald Paget, the gentlemanly, heroic tenor who nonetheless cannot control raging outbursts over nothings.
MVT’s production showcases what must surely be the most experienced ensemble ever convened in Hawaii. All four feel authentic in their roles, playing off one another as a tightly knit group, fully believable as longtime colleagues.
They "were all somebody, once" — to which Cecily replies, "I thought I was somebody now!"
And that’s the point: Are we still somebodies once our glories are past? Do we "rage at the dying of the light"? Or do we "enjoy these days, these hours, these moments," as Reginald says, while our bodies and minds fail?
"Quartet" refers to both the four characters and its climax, which consists of the "has-beens" lip-syncing the famed quartet of Verdi’s "Rigoletto," one of the great tragic scenes of all opera. The close is both tragic and comic, and the audience exits sorting out which is which and how they see it.
MVT’s design team presents a setting so smooth, attendees will have to make a point to notice its work. Kenji Shimata’s set captures the fake genteelness of an elder home, with artificial flowers, a stringless cello and art replicas. Janine Myers provides subtle lighting that directs the attention, as when highlighting the character’s revelations as they dress. Costumes by Carlynn Wolfe and hair and makeup by Lisa Ponce de Leon portray characters and their transitions with nuance, and Jason Taglianetti delivers excellent balance in sound design.
Director David C. Farmer maintains natural flow in a play that is essentially static, uses his cast well and highlights the balance between comedy and tragedy. Occasionally, on Thursday’s opening night, pacing abandoned the uneven pauses of natural speech and fell into steady delivery, and contributions by the extras did not always align with the stage action, but added humorous punctuation when they did.
"Quartet" has natural appeal for older audiences, but its comedy and touching message of acceptance and "carpe diem" will reach audiences of all ages.
Harwood’s play has a structural weakness that undercuts its impact: In the final act, just when most plays accelerate into their climax, "Quartet" slows down. As the characters begin dressing for their performance, the plot enters its most serious character development, revealing backgrounds the characters have concealed all these years.
That reversal — donning costumes while shedding secrets — is charming, and as the characters’ real selves emerge, we see the charade of youth revealed in all its pretense.
